Northern Rock Foundation

Blackwell Sailing which provides people with learning disabilities from across Cumbria with the opportunity to go sailing on Windermere, has received a grant of £46,000 from the Northern Rock Foundation. Last year the Charity were able to provide176 people with sailing sessions during the season which runs between April and October.

Blackwell Sailing is a Royal Yachting Association (RYA) recognised training centre. It has won RYA Centre of Excellence awards for the last three years. It employs one part-time member of staff, David Hall and is supported in its work by 35 regular volunteers who give their time to take people sailing.

“We are over the moon and very grateful to receive such a generous grant from Northern Rock Foundation. With the Foundation’s support over the years we really have gone from strength to strength, giving people with learning disabilities opportunities to go out regularly on the water, learn skills and have fun. The grant will help to make a lot of people very happy” said David Hall of Blackwell Sailing.

“It’s very good the sailing and that’s why I like it” said Leon Hill. “I like sailing the new boats that go faster. I like the other ones too, as well, because I am allowed to row when the wind drops” said Robert Woods.

The grant to Blackwell sailing is one of 15 awards totalling over £1.5 million made by the Northern Rock Foundation in its latest round of grant making.

Other grants awarded in Cumbria include £158,743 over three years to Age Concern Barrow and District to provide fuel poverty advice and help to older people, £76,500 to the Drop Zone Café in Barrow-in-Furness to pay for the project managers post and £63,709 to Carlisle Mencap to help a group of 30 people with learning difficulties to take part in a leisure activities ranging from fell walking to yoga.

Notes to editors

A full list of grants is attached- please contact Hilary Florek for further details 0191 2844054 – 07831 552624 hilary@hilaryflorekpr.co.uk

Northern Rock Foundation is a charity and company limited by guarantee with an independent Board of Trustees that makes all decisions on governance, finance and policy. The Foundation aims to tackle disadvantage and improve quality of life in North East England and Cumbria. The Foundation’s work is delivered by a professional staff team of 12 based in Newcastle upon Tyne.

The Foundation was established when Northern Rock demutualised in 1997. Up to December 2007, the bank gave, by covenant, 5% of its annual pre-tax profits to the Foundation, totalling more than £190 million. The Foundation will receive a minimum of £15m this year from Northern Rock, as part of the arrangement under which the bank was taken into temporary public ownership. Maintaining this arrangement is a condition of any sale of the bank in that period. The Government has asked the bank’s board to identify a viable long-term future for the Foundation.